FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO) – Fort Wayne is making pre-reviewed home designs available to small-scale builders and property owners as the city works to address its housing shortage and put vacant lots back into use.
Fort Wayne Community Development announced the launch of the Fort Wayne HOME Catalog, which includes six housing plans designed for urban lots. The plans have been pre-reviewed by the Allen County Building Department and the Department of Planning Services to help streamline construction.
The plans are free for participants in the city’s A Lot to Love program, which offers discounted city-owned lots to small-scale developers. Builders and property owners who want to use the designs on privately owned lots can obtain them for a nominal fee.
The catalog includes designs ranging from a 560-square-foot, one-bedroom backyard cottage, also known as an accessory dwelling unit, to a 2,368-square-foot, three-bedroom home with an integrated accessory unit.
Some designs can be built as either single-family homes or duplexes. The plans also offer options for additional bedrooms, bathrooms and accessory dwelling units.
With support from the WindSwell Foundation, some designs are fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The catalog also includes optional features intended to improve accessibility.
Fort Wayne Mayor Sharon Tucker said the catalog is intended to make home construction faster and simpler while reducing costs for small-scale developers and homebuyers.
Planning and Policy Director Paul Spoelhof said the effort is expected to build on the city’s A Lot to Love program by returning vacant land to productive use, revitalizing neighborhoods and creating more opportunities for emerging builders.
Since the program launched in March 2025, Community Development has committed 25 vacant lots to development partners. As of the city’s announcement, 20 homes had been built or were under construction, with each unit in a duplex counted as a separate home.
The city contracted with Flintlock LAB, an architecture, landscape and planning firm based in Fayetteville, Arkansas, to develop the catalog. The project also received support from the WindSwell Foundation and the National Association of Realtors.
The HOME Catalog is available online at Engage Fort Wayne.
